Thursday, July 17, 2014

Wallace Not Happy With 3rd Team Selection

The rivalry between Ole Miss and Mississippi State added another layer Thursday (as if it needed one) when the SEC Media voted Bulldog quarterback Dak Prescott 2nd Team All-SEC and voted Bo Wallace to the 3rd Team.

Wallace, a senior headed into his 3rd year as the starter and one of few returning starting quarterbacks in the conference, threw for 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and racked up 3,346 yard passing and 355 yards rushing last season. Along with those numbers Wallace added wins against LSU, Texas and a Music City Bowl MVP to his resume'.

Prescott threw for 1,940 yards and rushed for 829 in one season as a part-time starter. His most notable win was against Ole Miss - a game in which he was only used sparingly.

Wallace has accomplished far more, and that may be why he seemed to take the media's slight personally.

"I learned about it on the way over here, and I wasn’t happy about it," Wallace said. "It just adds another chip on my shoulder that I play with anyway."

Nick Marshall, returning quarterback for the defending SEC Champion Auburn Tigers, was voted to the First Team.

The media's vote of Wallace to the third team was based primarily on the way Ole Miss ended its season last year, especially the deflating performance in the Egg Bowl that ended with a Wallace fumble in overtime. Prescott didn't play much in that one, but he came in for the win, and in the end winning is what people remember. 

"If we win that game at Mississippi State, the voting’s going to be a lot different," Wallace said. "The hype is going to be a lot different."

The media voted Ole Miss to finish 4th in West and State 5th although many consider both schools dark horse contenders. It's a rivalry that will be as heated as ever, and the inevitable comparisons between Wallace and Prescott will only add more fuel to the fire.